Rubber Board to aid computerisation of Producers Societies

Kottayam: The Rubber Board under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has announced financial assistance for the Rubber Producers Societies (RPSs) for acquiring computer and peripherals to facilitate access to Information Technology (IT) enabled services, under the Rubber Plantation Development Scheme.

According to a release, the assistance is limited to Rs.45,000/- (Rupees Forty Five Thousand only) per RPS or 75% of the actual cost of the computer and peripherals. RPSs functioning in their own building or rented building and having uninterrupted trade linkage with companies in the RPS sector, and a good record of performance are eligible for the assistance. The Board will assist forty such Rubber Producers Societies to acquire computers during the current financial year.

The Board expects that the usage of IT enabled services among the rubber planting community will empower the growers with latest information in the field of cultivation world over, and market situation internationally. The computerisation of RPSs will also enable prompt accounting and make the operations more transparent and thereby attract more growers to group activities, which in turn protect them from exploitation by middlemen.

The RPSs established since 1986 are envisaged to function as centres for technology transfer; provide trainings in all aspects of rubber cultivation, crop harvesting, primary processing and marketing, and also in activities for extra income generation from rubber holdings. A large number of RPSs are functioning in Kerala.

The Rubber Board is a statutory body constituted by the Government of India, under the Rubber Act 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in the country. For more details about the scheme, please contact the Rubber Board Regional Offices.